Dr. Xia’s research focuses on testing new methods for using advanced imaging, computer modeling, computer-aided designing/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), and surgical navigation for making major facial and skull surgeries safer, faster, and more successful. He was a Houston Methodist Research Institute Research Scholar and has ongoing National Institutes of Health support for his computer surgical simulation work in cranio-maxillofacial surgery as co-primary investigator with Dr. Jaime Gateno of Houston Methodist. Dr. Xia and Dr. Gateno have developed a system called Computer-Assisted Surgical Simulation (CASS) that aids in surgical planning for major facial surgeries. They are currently working on a NIH sponsored project to develop an open-source software, AnatomicAligner, for this task .